Furuba Falls
by Onigiri in a Sailor Uniform
Summary: Just another Sohma family trip. . .to NIAGARA FALLS! Join in the fun as Shigure acts like his foolish self, Yuki and Kyo get into their infamous brawls, and Tohru is just as clueless as ever!
1. O Canada

The boring nature shows my dad watches actually proved useful for once! Last night I came downstairs and he had a document on about Niagara Falls. Somehow, my mind wandered to Fruits Basket. . . . .and if Shigure, Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru took a vacation there. :3 

**You may want to hold onto something for the next thing I have to tell you: Believe it or not, this story gets _serious_** **for a few seconds! That's a first for me, so please tell me how I did, what you liked or hated, and all that jazz us authors/authoresses love. (heart)**

**EnJoY!**

"Come, come, everyone! We've made it!" Shigure chimed happily, easing his way out of a dark, thickly dense forest, knocking over a sign reading: **PRIVATE WOODS – NO TRESPASSING** while doing so.

Gradually, Yuki and Kyo dragged their feet like lead out of the forest, as well, eyes glaring daggers into the inu's back; every inch of their skin left bare covered in an infinite amount of scratches, scabs, and bruises. "You had us stow away on a plane to the States. . ." Yuki began with monotonous anger in his voice. ". . .then _walk_ Kami-knows-how-many miles. . ."

". . .just so you wouldn't have to waste money on airline tickets and gas?" Kyo finished for him in the same monotony.

All smiles, Shigure began to smell the wildflowers, pretending to ignore the two boys. But suddenly, a series of soft moans and weeps escaped from somewhere back in the forest, and the nezumi and neko spun around in a flash. "_TOHRU_!"

The said onigiri's head, cheeks red from struggle and embarrassment, poked out from a small gap in the trees, which the other three had recently trudged out of. Yuki and Kyo immediately run over to her, each grabbing hold of an arm.

"Okay, Tohru, just take on step at a time. . ."

"That's it, nice and easy. . ."

They then froze, looking at each other.

"WHAT D'YOU THINK _YOU'RE_ DOING?" Kyo exclaimed in rage, tightening his grip on the girl's fragile limb.

Discreetly firming his own grip, the Prince simply stared at him with an emotionless expression and replied coolly, "Helping this young lady onto her feet, which you are rudely getting in the way of."

"I think it's the other way around, ya damn nezumi!" Kyo growled back, yanking Tohru towards him.

"Coming from someone who can't even eat breakfast without making his clothes a mural of stains, I highly doubt that." Tohru was jerked back towards Yuki.

"AT LEAST I DON'T DRINK MY TEA LIKE A GIRLY-BOY!" Back to Kyo.

"It's really sad how being polite makes you disgusted. Just like baths, I suppose, as I can smell you from all the way over here. . ." Back to Yuki.

"THAT IS THE STENCH OF _HARD WORK_ FROM YEARS OF TRAINING YOU'RE SMELLING!" Back to Kyo.

"Training with bears, right?" Back to Yuki.

"YOU SHUT UP!" Back to Kyo.

"Yahhhhhhhhhhhh. . ." The onigiri's eyes began spinning as her body wobbled about unsteadily. The two boys froze once again, this time followed by a frenzy of pleads for forgiveness.

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

"Here it is," Shigure announced, as the four of them stood over-looking the mighty, steaming Niagara Falls.

"It's beautiful. . .!" Tohru breathed, leaning over the railing with sparkling eyes. However, Kyo's dumbfounded glare completely ruined the moment.

"We went through Hell on Earth just to see our bathtub enlarged by a million times. . .?"

"This is the _Niagara Falls_, baka neko," Yuki replied. "Although I can't expect someone like _you_ to be moved by its awesome and majestic beauty. Only people on a higher scale of self-respect can appreciate such simple things like how that rainbow is made by the sun reflecting off the water-"

Kyo's head perked up. "A rainbow. . .? Where. . . . .?" he asked, curiously but cautiously.

The Prince silently pointed.

"I don't see any damn rainbow. . ." the Neko cursed, squinting his eyes at the spot where Yuki's finger showed. The other lowered his arm and sighed.

"Like I said, only people on a higher scale of self-respect. . ."

Kyo continued searching for the mysterious rainbow, tilting his head, covering one eye, and such, while Shigure leaned over to the nezumi and whispered, "The rainbow can only be seen in the evening, Yuki-kun. . ."

"I know," the latter whispered back with a smile. "I just like to mess with him."

"**I HEARD THAT**!" Kyo bellowed, nearly shaking the ground under his feet. He then wildly dove for the nezumi, who quickly stepped no more than an inch to the side, causing Kyo fall flat on his face, kissing the concrete. Soon, fists were flown, parries were pulled, and obscenities were out there, as Tohru and Shigure tried in vein to break the two up.

. .Well, it was more of Tohru helping and Shigure pointing and laughing on the sidelines.

**THEN.**

**SUDDENLY.**

As Yuki fired a kick aimed for Kyo's stomach, the latter jumped back, slipping on a rock and sending it torpedoing toward the opposite side of the Falls, smashing into a rocky wall. Slowly, one by one, the giant boulders tumbled down into the water below. . .and damming the waterfall above. Everything stopped, the air choked in silence. Even Shigure stopped laughing, while Yuki and Kyo's eyes were wide enough to fall into.

"Nice. . .job. . .baka neko," the Prince choked out hoarsely.

"Um. . . Uh. . . Why don't we, er, take a trip to the Gift Shop now. . .?" Shigure suggested, and the other three all nodded their heads vigorously in agreement.

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

Kyo stood outside the Gift Shop entrance, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking bored, while Shigure, Yuki, and Tohru browsed around inside. The Prince was frozen, gaping horrified at a display of Niagara Falls Rid-of-Rodents Mouse Traps, and Shigure and Tohru were venturing through a rack of clothes.

"Excuse me, Shigure-san, but what is this piece of clothing? A headband like Kyo-kun uses for his training?"

The inu tore his eyes away from a T-shirt with a group of dogs lounging on the beach, smoking cigars that had **NIAGARA FALLS **across the side, looked up, and nearly choked on his on saliva. Tohru stood right in front of him, innocently holding up a, ahem, "nighttime" thong with red frills and **NIAGARA FALLS** printed on the. . .back. "Oh. . .um. . .y-yes, Tohru-kun, th-that's a. . .headband. . ." he stuttered, quickly taking the lingerie and hanging it between the shirts he had been admiring, hidden from view.

"Do you think we should buy it for Kyo-kun, then?" the girl asked excitedly, clapping her hands together.

"OH! Uh, n-no, I don't think he needs it. . ."

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

"So. What'd you guys buy?"

"Yuki-kun got some books about the type of plants they grow in Canada, Shigure-san got a deck of cards, and I got a _beautiful_ red hair ribbon!"

"Cool. . ."

"I apologize, Kyo-kun. All I found that would be of interest to you was a headband, but Shigure-san said you didn't need one. . ."

"Huh?"

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

The buzzing day soon came to a close, and a crescent of a moon shone brightly in the sky. Wiped out physically _and_ mentally, the gang decided to check into a nearby hotel. Kyo was sprawled out all over his bed, snoring louder than an earthquake, and Shigure murmured in his sleep suggestively, while a shadow rose groggily and quietly staggered out the door.

"Honda-san. . .?"

"YAHHH!" Startled, Tohru whipped around and away from the railing separating her from the rippling water glowing violet in the moonlight below. Seeing Yuki staring back at her with an amused smile, eyes circled with restlessness and gray hair completely disheveled, she relaxed with a sigh. "Oh, Yuki-kun, you scared me. . ."

"I take it you couldn't sleep either?" he asked, taking a few swift steps and leaning against the railing.

"The Falls are just too alluring. . ." she replied with a smile of her own, turning back toward the railing, as well. "It was almost as if it was calling me. . ." Her eyes lit up in amazement.

"I know what you mean. . ." The Prince place his elbow onto the metal banister and rested his chin in his palm, absentmindedly turning his gaze toward Tohru's hair tied up in a high ponytail. "Hey, you're wearing the ribbon you bought. . ." The amused smile returned to his lips.

"Yes." Suddenly, the girl's head perked up with an idea. "You know, it would match with the ribbon you gave to me on our trip to the onsen!" she exclaimed, turning her head to meet his eyes with joy.

"You remember that. . . . .?" he asked in astonishment.

"Of course!" She then gasped. "And I think I have it with me!" Rapidly searching her pockets, her hand finally came upon on small, plain-looking box, but she held more lovingly than gold. "Would you. . .?" she trailed off, handing the container to Yuki.

"Um. . .sure. . ." He gingerly took the box in his own hands, slipped off the lid, and lifted a long, golden-colored ribbon from inside. His fingers carefully made their way around Tohru's head and tied it around her ponytail just above the red one. ". . . . .gorgeous. . . . ." he whispered almost silently, slowly trailing his fingers down her hair and tenderly caressing her soft cheeks. Tohru could feel his every touch tickling deep into her bones.

"Yuki. . . . .-k-kun. . . . ."

"Tohru. . . . ." he breathed, gently meeting her lips with his in a warm, passionate kiss neither one of them had ever experienced before. The ten o' clock fireworks exploded in the black sky right on schedule, and Tohru brought her hands underneath Yuki's nightshirt, feeling his warmth flow into her veins. The boy felt himself come on top of her, deepening the kiss more and more as her back was pushed up against the railing. She leaned backwards more and more over the edge, and, suddenly. . .

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEK. . . . .!"

"_TOHRU_!"

**.The.End.**


	2. Don't Tell Me

**Oh, you guys are so lucky. When posting what is now Chapter One, I had not the least bit intention of making this a continuing story. However, one night, inspiration just came to me, so here it is! Now, don't hold me up to updating. This story could stop at anytime. You have been warned.**

**Also, major thanks to Haunt-san and fdiw-san for the wonderful feedback! Keep it comin':33**

**EnJoY!**

Yuki carefully yet hastily climbed over the railing, then made his way down the steep wall below using cracks and ledges that had grown out of time and ran along the Falls' calm, muddy shore toward a slumped figure. "Honda-san! Are you all right?"

"I-. . . I just sprained my ankle, that's all," Tohru whispered, tenderly rubbing the said injury. "It's nothing, really-" She slowly began to rise to her wobbly feet, but her knees immediately buckled, sending her falling into the Prince's arms just before hitting the cold ground.

"I am so sorry I did this to you, Honda-san. . ." Yuki mumbled beside her ear, head limply hung down in shame. His eyes suddenly widened as he felt the girl's body shivering against his own. "Your pajamas are ripped to shreds!" Gently setting Tohru against the wall towering over the Falls, he quickly removed his nightshirt and pajama bottoms. A hot blush crept across the onigiri's face as he then held the clothes out to her with a smile and said, "I promise to close my eyes while you change."

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

"A-are you sure it isn't a hassle for you to carry me. . .like this?" Tohru asked meekly into Yuki's smooth, bare skin. Now wearing nothing but boxers, the nezumi had her in a piggyback ride while climbing back up the rocky wall, and that blush was tickling her cheeks yet again.

After a few struggling minutes, they were back on safe ground, Yuki hanging his head between his legs, panting heavily from the struggle. Tohru quietly stood off to the side, watching him with thoughts reeling, "Even with his week bronchial tubes, he pushed himself to help me. . . I must let him no how much I appreciate all he's done for me, especially after. . . . .-" The taste of Yuki's lips against hers and the sensation of his hands against her back replayed in her mind, and, turning red, she spoke up, "Y-Yuki-kun." Her feet carefully brought her closer to the wheezing boy until a mere inch was between them. "I j-just wanted. . .to. . ."

Just as the Prince began to raise his head to look at her, the onigiri suddenly flung her arms around him, burying her face into his thick, gray hair. A second later, realizing what she had done, Tohru's eyes flashed wide-open right on cue for a silence-shattering **POOF!**

As the dust slowly settled, Tohru found herself caressing a small, familiar rat, and sweatdropped. "Gomen nasai. . ."

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

The hotel room door quietly creaked open as Tohru slipped inside, transformed Yuki still in her arms. "The way back is twice as long with a sprained ankle. . ." she whispered to herself, groggily inching through the darkness and wearily plopping down onto her single bed, the nezumi snuggled under her chin. In only a moment, sleep had taken over her.

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

As the sun's first rays just began peeking through cracks in the blinds across the room's only window, Kyo's eyes fluttered open. Lifting himself from the bed with a stretch, he flung his legs over to the side of the mattress, jumped to his feet. . . . .and fell right back down with eyes bulging out of his chalk-white face. On top of covers strewn every which way, Tohru was dozing dressed in Yuki's pajamas, the latter dreamily cuddling up against her in nothing but boxers! "What. . . . .the. . . . .**_HELL_**?"

The sudden outburst caused the two to stir. "Must you be so loud so early in the morning. . .?" Yuki mumbled, slowly sitting up with sleep weighing down his eyelids. He gave Kyo's horrorstricken face a puzzling stare for a second, then his gaze drifted down to the onigiri softly snoring practically under him, then back up to Kyo again. A beat later, his face was pure crimson. "No, Kyo, this really isn't what it looks like-!"

"Y-YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Kyo screamed with pure hatred dripping from each word.

"Is it time to ruin my day already. . .?" Just as Shigure put a foot out of the aisle between his and Kyo's bed, he suddenly found the room spinning before his back slammed against hard hotel carpet as Kyo whizzed past and out the door.

"Kyo. . .!" Yuki called after him desperately, but it was already too late.

Shigure steadily peeled himself off the floor and onto two feet again. "What has he burst a vein about this ti-" The words froze in his throat as he stood there, staring wide-eyed at the two teenagers wearing things that suggested anything but innocence. "Yuki-kun. . . . . I thought you knew better. . . . . If you're going to have premarital sex, then rent your _own _hotel room, not do it only a few feet away from your sleeping cousin and uncle!"

The nezumi's face glowed crimson red as he sputtered out, "I-I-I didn't! I. . .I gotta find him!" He then ran out the door, slamming it loudly behind him.

The noise caused Tohru's eyes to flutter open. Seeing Shigure just standing in the middle of the room, gazing at the door, she sat up and noticed the two empty beds on either side of her. "Where has everyone gone?"

"Oh, Tohru-kun, how dreadful. . ." Shigure sighed, touching a middle and pointer finger to his forhead. "Yuki-kun got to you first!"

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

Ten minutes went by, and the Prince came upon a small forest, a trail of footprints sunk low into the damp ground leading deeper inside. "Kyo?" he called out, taking a cautious step into the filtered light. "Kyo?" He slowly followed the manmade path; the trees growing larger, taller, and darker with every step he took. "Ky-" The tracks suddenly took a sharp turn - right into a mighty-standing oak. As he inched closer, Yuki could see the trunk had taken several powerful blows, splinters of thick bark scattered all over the grassy floor around it. "Kyo. . .?"

". . .heartless," came a muffled voice from the tree's other side. The Prince slowly made his way around. . . . .and abruptly stopped at the sight of the redhead lying wearily on the ground, back facing him. Blood trickled down from his knuckles.

"You. . . . .took the only person. . . . .who could make me feel-. . . . ." Kyo mustered up all the strength he had left to turn over and face the other. "I've never hated you more than right now." Angry tears were welling up in his bloodshot eyes.

"Quit drawing to conclusions, you. . .b-baka," Yuki whispered hoarsely, taking a step toward his cousin. "Last night. . .Honda-san and I went to take a look at the falls after dark. But she fell. . .and I gave her my pajamas to stay warm. . .then carried her back to the hotel. Somehow. . .we ended up falling asleep on the same bed-"

"Why. . ." Kyo growled, rising to his trembling arms. ". . .should I believe. . ." He then lifted himself onto his feet, wobbling over to the Prince and taking a tight hold on his shirt. ". . .a dirty nezumi like you?"

Yuki could only stand there, mouth open with gray eyes wide.

In a flash, Kyo let out a wild snarl and sent a fist flying across the boy's jaw. His body whirled through the air and slid onto the ground. "YOU DAMN LIAR!" Eyes burning with blind rage, just as he pulled back for another punch, a booming voice sounded, "**FREEZE WITH YOUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR, YOU TWO! YOU ARE BOTH UNDER ARREST!**"

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

Brrrrrrriiiinng!

"Moshi moshi?" Shigure spoke into the hotel telephone's receiver.

"Shigure, it's Yuki. . ." came a soft reply from the other end. "Kyo and I are kind of. . .in need of help."

"Oh, my. Well, where are you?"

". . .Jail."

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

"I'm sorry, sir, but we can't just let you come and take the two criminals with only your word that you are their uncle."

"Please, Officer-san, it was all an accident," Tohru sweetly spoke up from beside Shigure, eyes big with innocence. "They didn't _mean_ to momentarily plug up a natural wonder."

"I'm sorry, miss, but you still cannot pass."

"Hmm," Shigure thought aloud under his breath, rubbing his chin. "Maybe he can't understand the emergency of the situation because of our accents. . ." He then directed toward the guard, "Um, we really need to see, eh, the two boys, eh! We are simply tourists, eh, who would do no harm to this wonderful country! Maple leaves, moose, and all that, eh!"

With an annoyed glare, the officer finally said, "If you insist on being so determined, then there _is_ one way to prove if you were at the scene of the crime: recognize the two boys in a line-up."

"A piece of cake!" the novelist lightheartedly exclaimed. "I think I would know what my nephews, who I live with every day, look like."

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

Five "Yukis" stood before Shigure and Tohru: one around the size of a midget with a little tuft of gray hair; one looking stoned with scraggly, gray hair down to his shoulders; one with gray hair just coming to the tips of his ears and eyebrows, a pansy part right down the middle; one who was actually an old man with wispy, gray hair making a crown around his bald head; and one with slightly long, gray hair, clothes spotted with mud, and a large, black bruise on the left side of his slender face.

"Um. . .uh. . ." Shigure looked back and forth between all of them with blank eyes. "Let's see. . . Maybe that one. . .or that one. . . Well, at least we know it isn't that _pathetic_-looking one all beat up."

Tohru sweatdropped.

"You _know_, officer," the inu suddenly said with a sly smile. Sneaking over to the guard, he then whispered coyly through the side of his mouth, "I happen to be quite the novelist, and you look like a man who feels a little naughty sometimes, so if you could just let them go. . ." Trailing off, he pulled out _Sigh of a Summer Affair _from his pocket, waving it in front of the officer seductively.

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

"Thank you for. . .bribing us out of there, Shigure," Yuki said as the four of them walked into the hotel restaurant.

"And yet I'm still paying for tonight's meal. . ." his uncle whined with a sigh.

"Well, tomorrow I will cook a big breakfast just for you, Shigure-san!" Tohru chimed in with a smile.

As they all stood at the **Please Wait for Your Waiter or Waitress to Seat You** sign, Kyo nervously spoke up, "T-. . .Tohru."

"Yes?" she asked, turning toward him.

The neko's cheeks began to flush. "I. . . I just wanted to know. . . That damn nezumi didn't. . .do anything to you last night. . .did he?"

Torhu's eyes were glazed over with confusion. "What do you mean. . .?"

For once, Kyo could not hide the wide smile that spread across his face. "Let's just. . .go eat."

The onigiri smiled, too. "Yes," she said, taking his hand in her own, the blush beginning to spread across the boy's entire face. "Let's go eat." A glare soon replaced his wondrous stare, however, when she took Yuki's hand, as well, and exclaimed, "Like a family!"

The Prince just gave her a confused smile.

**.The.End.**


	3. The Fatal Wound

**Yes, I'm still alive:D The reason this took _forever_ to post was because I had to split this chapter in half. If I didn't, you'd probably have twenty pages to read! Now you only have seven. :3**

**Also, any sights in Niagara Falls I write about are real. Except for Cascade. I made that up meself. :3**

**EnJoY!**

_Deep anger._

"_Kyo!"_

_Blow after blow._

"_Stop!"_

_Blind fury._

"_He's. . .!"_

The bed springs creaked under Kyo's weight he shifted onto his side, eyes staring soullessly out the window. "I have a strange feeling. . ." he murmured softly. "It must be going to rain soon."

"Kyo-kun!"

"WAH H?"

Tohru sheepishly hid behind the other side of the hotel door, peeking through the sliver of a crack between it and the wall. "Y-Yuki-kun, Shigure-san. . .and I are done in the pool and were wondering if you wanted. . .t-to come with us and explore the many stores lined up along the streets. . ."

"Y-. . .Yeah."

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

As the four walked down one of the lively, Canadian streets, Yuki let out a tired sigh. Every girl he walked past immediately stopped in her tracks and stared lustfully at the beautifully lean boy in nothing but swimming trunks.

"Yuki-kun. . ." Shigure finally spoke up. "For your own safety, I suggest that you should put on my shirt, and in turn. . ." The middle-aged novelist ripped off his over-sized T-shirt and exclaimed dramatically, "All the young, pretty girls can look at _me_!"

The three teenagers, and also many of the formerly drooling girls, all sweatdropped. "That's something I would expect from Onii-san. . ." Yuki mumbled softly.

Shigure's eyes lit up at the word. "_Speaking_ of Aaya. . ."

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" the neko and nezumi roared in unison.

". .Eep."

Suddenly, a loud, cheerful voice boomed above the normal buzzing of the city. "IT'S TEEN NIGHT AT THE CASCADE DANCE CLUB! SNACKS, BEVERAGES, FABULOUS DOOR PRIZES, AND MUSIC BLASTIN' FROM SEVEN 'TIL TEN!" A woman in her early twenties was standing atop a wooden crate outside an ice cream stand a few feet ahead, passing out fliers all about the event to any random person passing by (and a few animals, accidentally), rolling up one of her own to project her voice as far as possible.

Yuki and Kyo stared at the woman with confused looks and an arched eyebrow.

""Teen Night". . .?"

""Dance club". . .?"

"Let's get closer!" Tohru chirped happily.

"AND I SEE THIS YOUNG LADY ALREADY HAS HER DATES PICKED OUT!" The three of them blushed as the woman handed a flier to Tohru. . .

"Arigatou gozaimasu!"

. . .Yuki. . .

"A-Arigatou. . ."

. . .and. . .

The woman's eyes grew wide and her arm froze, blood running cold. "Ky-. . . . .Kyo?"

Hands shoved into his pockets and eyes examining the ground the entire time, Kyo's head shot up in surprise at the name. When he saw the familiar face, surrounded by a bob of light brown hair barely brushing against her earlobes, his eyes widened, as well. "Emi!"

The latter's forest-green eyes slowly welled up with tears. "I. . .I moved all the way to Canada to forget about the past and start a new life, but. . .you just can't stand seeing someone happy, can you?" With those last words, she spun around and sprinted into an on-coming crowd. The confusion caused her to stumble over the many bustling feet. After being shoved by one of the strangers, she lost her balance and skidded onto the hard, concrete sidewalk.

"EMI-SAN!" Eyes wide, Tohru was the first to react, rushing over to the woman's side as the crowd obliviously shuffled on. "Someone call an ambulance!" she screamed. "Her head is bleeding!"

**(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)(scene break)**

"You may see her now, but I have to warn you, she may be a bit drowsy from the anesthetic."

"Arigatou gozaimashita!" Tohru bowed to the soft-spoken nurse and reached for the hospital room's doorknob. She then stopped and turned towards the two boys leaning against the wall beside it. "Um. . .are you. . ."

Kyo just stared straight ahead with cold eyes, arms crossed against his chest. After a moment of awkward silence, Yuki managed to muster up a smile and said politely, "You go ahead, Honda-san. We'll be with you soon."

With a slightly unsure nod, the onigiri then creaked open the door and stepped into the room.

Once Yuki heard the reassuring click of the door closed again, he spoke up with arms also crossed, "Well? How could such a dim-witted fool like you, who would rather choose fighting over friends, be familiar with someone in _Canada_?"

The neko's gaze lowered, but still kept its dark tone. "We. . .We met when I went training in the mountains with Shishou, alright? She was staying in a cabin nearby. . .and when Shishou sent me for firewood one day, we ran into each other."

"And I assume you simply acted like your idiotic self to get her to hate you so badly?" the nezumi replied harshly.

"NO!" Kyo screamed, tears forming in his eyes as he jumped off the wall to face his interrogator. Realizing he had let his emotions take control of him, he then clenched his teeth together and looked to the floor, trying to hide the tears from behind his bangs in shame. "She. . .was a lot like _her_. . ." he whispered hoarsely, eyes taking a quick glance at the still door.

"_R r n n n n g h. . .!"_

_Kyo turned from the tree he had been chopping, startled to hear an unfamiliar voice in the middle of the mountains. Picking up his small pile of wood with one hand, he cautiously moved closer, step by step, inch by inch. . .until what he saw stopped him in his tracks. A girl slightly older than he was struggling greatly to lift an axe, and when she finally did, failed miserably at causing any harm to the large, sturdy tree standing before her._

"_Rr. . .R r n n gh. . .KYAH H H H H!"_

_Kyo gasped as the stranger held the axe high above her head, its heavy weight sending her toppling backwards. Out of pure reflex, he dove for her._

_After the dust slowly settled, he found himself laying on the forest floor with his cheek against the dirt, staring into a pair of shocked and confused, yet somehow showing pure innocence, deep green eyes. "What the hell were you thinking. . .?"_

_The eyes frantically darted every which way. "I-. . .uh-. . .um-. . ." She gasped when they fell upon the wound across his right leg. "You're hurt!" Her eyes then grew even wider and she jumped to her feet. "Omigosh, I made you get hurt! I am _so _sorry!"_

_Kyo also began to rise while brushing himself off. "I'm fine, it's just a-"_

"_No, no, no, injuries are never fine! They could get infected, you could have a scar. . . At least I brought this with me!" The girl whipped out a piece of cloth and wrapped it around his leg._

_Kyo immediately stiffened. "I don't need some _girl _to help me, let alone one I don't even know!" he snapped, ripping his leg out of her grasp. The second he tried to walk on it, however, the pain was enough to make him wince. After a moment of pondering the situation over, his shoulders finally fell in defeat. "Dammit. . . Well, if ya _gotta _put that thing on me, at least do it quick!"_

_The girl couldn't help but smile. "Hai!"_

_**(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)**_

"My name's Emi, by the way. . ." she said with a light tint of blush on her cheeks while tying the bandage in a tight knot.

"_Oh. Kyo," the neko replied, paying know real attention to her._

_Emi smiled. "I know."_

That _caught Kyo's attention._

"_I have a cabin in these mountains that I stay in when I just want to get away from everything. One day, I went exploring and came upon you training with your shihan. The way you could control your movements to go so fast, yet so precise was truly incredible. I found myself going back to watch you day after day, and I never got tired of it. . ."_

"_Are you done tying that thing yet?" Kyo asked with annoyance._

_For a second, Emi was so caught up in her memories, she had no clue what the redhead was talking about. "Uh. . . Y-Yeah. . ."_

_Kyo suddenly stood up without warning. "By the way, it's shishou." He then spun around on his heel and walked away with hands in pockets._

_Emi quickly stood up, as well, and called after him, "Well, the way he smiles when you're around, I can tell he really cares for you!"_

_The boy just walked on, and Emi looked to the ground with a sigh in hopelessness. Then, she noticed the pile of wood he had left behind. "W-Wait!" she called again, fumbling to pick up the large logs. "You forgot this!"_

_Kyo finally stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. "You can keep it! No use killing yourself over something so stupid, right?"_

_She watched with hot cheeks as he continued to walk out of sight._

_**(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)**_

"_That's enough for today, Kyo," Kazuma announced, handing the boy a towel. "I think you deserve some time to relax in the natural hot spring we discovered just beyond here."_

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind either," Kyo agreed. After cracking his neck, he headed for the spring.

_**(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)**_

_A dark figure was perched on a high branch of a tree overlooking the hot spring. When Kyo entered the area and began removing his karate gi piece by piece, they let out a small gasp and froze stalk still._

_Oblivious down below, the redhead began doing stretches. . .completely naked. The figure gripped the branch so hard, their knuckles turned white._

_Soon, Kyo finished, and eased himself into the steaming water with a content sigh. After a few minutes, though, a cracking from above interrupted his peace. "Huh?" Just when he looked up. . ._

"_KYAH H H H H H H H!"_

_SPLOOSH!_

Scared onto his feet, Kyo stared at the water with wide eyes. Slowly, a brown head broke through the surface, spitting out a gulp of the liquid taken during the fall. "Y-. .YOU!" Kyo screamed, hastily grabbing the towel and covering himself with it. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" 

"I. . .told you I watched you every day. . ." Emi replied sheepishly.

"_FROM THE _HOT SPRING_?"_

"_Eheheheh. . ."_

_**(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)**_

"I-I'm really sorry, I never meant for this to happen. . ." Emi mumbled with a bright red face from her seat on a rotting stump. Back facing her, Kyo simply pulled the top of his gi snugly onto his shoulders without a word.

Determined to get the boy to open up even a little, she continued, "I, uh. . .happened to notice that while you were in the hot spring, you still wore that strange bracelet, even though the rest of your body. . .w-was. . ."

Kyo grimaced.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry!" Emi jumped to her feet. "Did I bring up a sore subject?"

"Why do you. . .want to be around me so much?" the redhead asked softly. "Someone like you. . .should be hanging all over Yuki."

Emi's shoulders relaxed as she stared at him with confused eyes. ""Yuki". . . Is he. . .your rival?"

"That damn rat always gets everything he wants! HE RUINED MY LIFE!" Kyo screamed, clutching the sides of his head as he fell to the ground.

Ever so slowly, Emi crept closer to him.

Unaware, Kyo more calmly murmured, "Why do you think I'm here? It's because nobody wants me. . .nobody cares about me. . .in that place I'm supposed to call "home." But he. . . No matter where he goes, everyone wants to be around him!"

Emi crouched down next to him with eyes full of concern for someone that she barely even knew.

"But someday. . .I'll win."

"Win. . .a fight?" the girl asked quietly.

"He beats me every time. . . . . Even when he's holding back, he kicks my ass without a sweat. . ."

"Maybe. . .whenever you punch or kick at him. . .your mind is clouded with so much hate. . .you're destined to lose."

Kyo lifted his head and stared at the girl with wide eyes. "Maybe. . ."

With a warm smile, she reached for his hand. "It's good to tell someone how you're feeling. . .once in awhile."

But when her finger touched his, he immediately jumped up and screamed, "DON'T TOUCH ME!"

The air was silent for a moment, Emi's mouth open in shock while Kyo panted heavily, unsure of what to do. Then, the brunette gave him another smile. "There are some things you still can't tell me. I understand."

Kyo's gaze slowly fell to the ground. "Mom never tried to understand. . . Dad never tried to understand. . ." His voice began to quiver "They only thought of me as a monster. . . . ."

Tears welled up in Emi's eyes at his sad words. And before either of them knew it, she had pushed her lips up against his, yet made sure not to touch him with her hands. A second later, she went running off, leaving a very wide-eyed Kyo still staring straight ahead in shock.

_**(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)**_

_The next evening, after another long, hard day of training, Kyo went back to that same spot in the woods out of curiosity. He was half-surprised to find the girl sitting there on that same tree stump. . ._smiling_ at him. He could only stare at her with a blank mind until she finally patted the ground next to her, signaling for him to come over. He did, and the two began to talk just like before, Emi never judging him by what he told her, but actually helping him sort out his thoughts._

_He came back even the next evening, and found her sitting there, waiting for him yet again. Their private meetings became daily, and, without realizing it, Kyo gradually became fond of this Emi. She was the first person who actually _cared

_. .Then, he messed up. Big._

_**(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)(flashback scene break)**_

_Kyo calmly walked around the tree leading to the two's "secret spot". . .and found it empty. Quickly, he retraced his steps, thinking he had made a wrong turn, even though he knew the way like the back of his hand. When he came back to the same empty tree stump, he really began to worry. "E-Emi?" He walked past it, calling into the woods, "EMI?"_

After a few minutes, the peak of a cabin could be seen above the treetops.

"I have a cabin in these mountains that I stay in when I just want to get away from everything."

_With her words ringing in his ears, Kyo raced towards the building, his legs pumping violently. When the trees finally made way for an enormous clearing with a tiny, clear stream rushing along the edge, he skidded to a halt. His eyes widened when he saw Emi sitting next to a male stranger on a gently gliding porch swing - _laughing

"_Emi!"_

_The latter's green eyes widened at the shout, but immediately softened when she saw whom it had come from. "Oh, Kyo!" she exclaimed with a smile. "Sorry, I must have lost track of the time." She then jumped off the swing, the stranger easing himself onto two feet, as well._

_Kyo ran to the porch steps and his eyes grew even wider. The hairstyle, the face, the female complexion. . . This man looked exactly like Yuki! "Who is this?" the redhead demanded._

_Emi's smile broadened. "This. . .is Reito."_

_Kyo's heart was ripped apart when the two embraced. The second Emi took her arms away from him, a loud crack echoed through the mountains, sending a startled bird fluttering into the sky._

_Reito's back slammed against the hard, wooden floor, blood spewing from his nose. Hands clasped to her face in horror, Emi looked up to see Kyo towering over him, hand tightly clenched into a fist and eyes dark with fury. "STAY AWAY FROM HER, YOU BASTARD!" he bellowed, pounding the man in the gut._

"_Kyo!" Emi screamed, her face pale white. "Stop!"_

"_SHE'S MINE!" Kyo's ears shut out the rest of the world as he began pummeling Reito's face. "_YUKI_!"_

_Emi's eyes widened in shock. "He's my brother!"_

_The boy gasped just as his fist sent another bruise onto the smooth skin. He froze there in that position, unbelieving the whole situation. His words caught in his throat and choked him._

_Emi was in tears, rushing over to Reito's side. "He's not breathing. . .!" she gasped. The glare she burned into Kyo was heart wrenching. Even more so were her words. "You really are a monster." The boy was about to say something when she interrupted, "Just. . .go away. . . **NEVER COME NEAR ME AGAIN**!"_

_Kyo sprinted back into the woods faster than he ever had before, until he finally ran into Kazuma. Demanding a rematch, the redhead punched and kicked with such speed and force that his shishou was taken aback a bit. However, Kazuma soon took him down like always. Holding his student's face in the dirt, he announced, "We leave here tomorrow."_

Kyo limply fell against the hospital wall, sliding down to the floor with his forehead against his knees, hugging his legs to his chest. Yuki stared down at him, frozen in shock. He had never believed the baka neko could have gone through such a tragedy. . .because of him. It was beyond feeling dislike toward someone.

"K-. . .K-. . .Kyo. . ." he stuttered out awkwardly, reaching out a trembling hand. With slight hesitation, he rested it on the boy's shoulder. "It's. . .okay. . ."

**.To. **


End file.
